Tech Dad: Tech Gifts for the Holidays

It’s no secret that tech and toys have become a blended category. Most toys have some amount of tech built into them. Here are three of my favorite tech gift suggestions for the child on your holiday list this year.

Think of the Itty Bitty Buggy as a programmable brain for Legos. The kit includes a motor and a smart module so kids can program their creations to do whatever they want. The brain has sensors, microphones, and Bluetooth built in so the buggy can be controlled by smartphone. It will follow a line your child draws on paper or play music based on colors on the paper. Because it’s Lego compatible, kids can build onto the included robot designs. It’s a perfect gift for any kid interested in STEM.

Kids love tablets for homework, for videos, and for playing games. Perhaps this is the year you get them their own tablet. Barnes & Noble just announced a new 10.1″ Nook tablet for only $130. It has decent power and runs Android with access to the Play store for apps. This might be the cheapest quality 10″ tablet this holiday season. A perfect gift for any kid who is ready for the responsibility of their own tablet.

I wasn’t sold on a kids version of Alexa at first. After spending a few weeks with this device and seeing how much my kids loved interacting with it, as well as the parental controls built in by Amazon, I was sold. It can play interactive games with kids, help them learn time and fun facts, and read a story to the young ones. It’s also perfect for playing your kid’s favorite music, all the while allowing parents to stay in control of the device and content 24/7.